proper friends
by 2olluxampora
Summary: "I don't think it's about me in particular, really. They just don't like people who are different."


**Written for Hogwarts, prompts at bottom.**

* * *

The first time Luna spoke to Cho one on one, the older girl was returning her shoes. The moment Luna entered the room, Cho straightened up quickly, edging towards the door.

"Oh, hello," Luna said pleasantly. "Why are you in my room?" She noticed the shoes she'd been looking for all day sitting on the floor near her bed, and parchment on the table that might be her Transfiguration homework. It was good that they were back, she thought, sock-clad toes curling into the rug.

"I was just..." Cho hesitated, chuckling awkwardly, and nodded towards the returned items. "My friends took them. I'm sorry."

Other people might be angry, ask why Cho didn't stop them from doing it in the first place. Not Luna.

"Alright," she said, cocking her head to the side slightly. "I'm glad the nargles aren't affecting you so much anymore. They really are quite bothersome."

"I'm not like them," Cho murmured, still lingering near the doorway. "I know it's not...that they shouldn't do that sort of thing."

"Why are you friends with them, then?" Luna asked, tone purely curious.

Cho left without a word, and Luna listened to the sound of her footsteps all the way down the stairs.

* * *

That day marked the beginning of an odd new friendship. Cho would talk to her when there was nobody else around, or try to undo some of the cruel things her friends did, but never defended or acknowledged Luna in public. Luna was happy enough to have any sort of friend in Ravenclaw at all that she didn't push her.

"Isn't that Cho's?" Marietta asked, wrinkling her nose as she looked at the cardigan Luna was wearing. "Why do you have it, Lovegood?"

Luna frowned, shifting and pulling the sweater tighter around herself. She wasn't surprised that Marietta seemed to assume she'd stolen it.

"She let me borrow it," she replied distantly.

"Why would she?" Luna didn't even bother to look over at Marietta, focused on watching Cho fly around the pitch.

"We're friends, of course. Friends do nice things for each other."

"Cho, friends with _you_?" Marietta scoffed.

"We are," Luna repeated patiently. "We even made friendship bracelets." She held out her wrist to show Marietta the blue and bronze thread, and when the older girl saw a matching bracelet on Cho's wrist that night and stalked off, Luna stayed behind and sat with Cho while she tried not to cry.

"She's my best friend," Cho said helplessly, staring down at the floor. "I don't understand why she won't even accept that I can be friends with you too. Why everyone hates you so much, really."

"I don't think it's about me in particular, really. They just don't like people who are different. Isn't that why you've been keeping this a secret? Because you're afraid being my friend will make you different too? If she's really your friend, she'll get over it."

Cho shrugged, and Luna moved a bit closer, resting a gentle hand against her leg.

"Yeah, I guess so. People like me, and I like that. But...it hasn't really been fair to you, has it?"

"No, it hasn't," Luna agreed, pleased that Cho was finally admitting that. Months of being friends only in secret hadn't been the easiest thing.

"I'm sorry. We can...be proper friends from now on if you'd like."

Luna nodded, smiling.

"I'd like that very much." Cho tugged her a little closer by the sleeve of the cardigan she was still wearing, and Luna added, "And I like you very much."

Cho offered a rather shy grin, and before she knew it, their lips were pressing together briefly.

"I like you very much too."

* * *

 **\- love in motion femslash: cho/luna**

 **\- 365 prompts: 245. restriction - characters from only one era**

 **\- insane house challenge: 477. item - cardigan**

 **\- fanfiction resolutions: write about a quidditch player**

 **\- serpent day challenge: wolf snake - (dialogue) "We even made friendship bracelets."**

 **\- disney challenge: prince ali - write about someone pretending to be something they're not**

 **\- showtime: dear old shiz - (setting) hogwarts**

 **\- days of the month: sweater day - write about a modest person**

 **\- scavenger hunt: write a ship you've never written**

 **\- femslash february: cho/luna**


End file.
